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Adapting the SASA! Community mobilisation approach: Spotlight Initiative has adapted and implemented the SASA! Approach in Uganda and Haiti, originally developed by the Ugandan women’s rights organisation Raising Voices. SASA! is rooted in a feminist understanding of men’s power over women as a root cause of VAWG and works to balance power in relationships and communities. It trains and supports community activists to facilitate informal activities - such as dialogues, role plays, discussions of posters - with community members in their homes, workplaces, places of worship, and areas of…
A key focus of Spotlight Initiative's work is to strengthen the institutional environment for ending VAWG. In different countries, programmes have variously worked with national government, the private sector, media and education institutions both to reduce violence within these institutions, ensure they implement commitments to end VAWG and to foster a wider enabling environment for prevention.In addition to reforming and strengthening laws and policies, Spotlight Initiative has worked with government bodies to strengthen institutional capacity to implement EVAWG commitments. This has…
Spotlight Initiative has integrated women’s economic empowerment (WEE) activities as part of a comprehensive approach to ending violence against women and girls in several countries. It has implemented economic empowerment initiatives with survivors to support them to recover and rebuild their lives after experiencing violence. It has also developed specific economic empowerment programmes to target those involved in conducting harmful practices like FGM to support a change in livelihood strategy as a means to disincentivise their performance of these practices (see case study on Liberia). In…
Spotlight Initiative has implemented a range of interventions in different countries to promote healthy relationships between couples, parents and children, other family members and peers. Programmes are designed to recognise that there are links between direct experiences or witnessing of violence in childhood, and the increased likelihood of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimisation or perpetration. The impact of intergenerational transmission may be exacerbated in families affected by conflict and displacement.Healthy relationships in families: Spotlight Initiative programmes have…
Analysis of the legal and policy landscape is a key first step in programme development. Spotlight Initiative's Technical Guidance Note recommends that all programmes assess the legislative and policy framework including customary/religious/indigenous laws to ensure approaches respond to gaps and needs. Programmes should assess coherence with international and regional standards, gaps and inconsistencies in content, implementation weaknesses, existing investments and budget allocations as well as quality of monitoring mechanisms for enforcement of the laws.Use a range of methods for conducting…
Spotlight Initiative programmes have supported a number of different social empowerment interventions with women and girls, and sometimes with boys, men and other family members. Approaches and learning include:Safe spaces: These spaces can create opportunities for participants to learn about their rights, build awareness on sexual and reproductive health, healthy relationships and GBV, as well as gain new life skills and vocational skills. See case study below on Malawi.Social networks: Spotlight Initiative programmes in many countries, including in Malawi, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uganda…
Spotlight Initiative develops comprehensive VAWG prevention programmes that work across sectors and levels to address the root cause and drivers of VAWG, including the norms, attitudes and beliefs that sustain violence. Across programmes, this has included:An overall strategy that combines a dedicated pillar on VAWG prevention, as well as a focus on embedding prevention strategies across all other pillars of work, including legal reform and institutional strengthening. Read more about the pillars of Spotlight InitiativeSelecting and designing strategies tailored to context. By conducting in…
Spotlight Initiative has engaged in and supported a range of strategic work to influence changes in the structural environment which enables VAWG. This has included the following approaches and learning:
Working to influence high-level political leaders and local governments to support initiatives to end VAWG. For example, in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Nigeria, the Heads of State have officially expressed their strong support for the elimination of VAWG, signalling longer term priority and political commitment to this issue.
Supporting development of National Action Plans to end VAWG. To…
Strengthening and supporting women’s movements is is a key pillar of Spotlight Initiative (Pillar 6), and is mainstreamed across all other pillars. This commitment to support autonomous women’s movements and partner with and fund women’s rights organisations (WROs) stems from the recognition that these groups are best placed to design and implement transformative programming and advocate for policy and legal changes to advance gender equality and end VAWG. Key approaches and learnings about why and how to work with women's movements include:
Take and advocate for an evidence-based approach …
As the largest global effort to end VAWG, Spotlight Initiative is uniquely positioned to build a culture of learning and knowledge exchange across countries/regions that could be used to inform effective programming and policies on EVAWG across the globe. Key approaches taken by Spotlight Initiative include:Developing and implementing a robust Knowledge Management Workplan. Knowledge Management is a systematic process of: Identifying, cultivating, generating, curating knowledge; Documenting and storing knowledge; Engaging in critical reflection and analysis; Disseminating, sharing, exchanging…